Forget Me Not
by Boofeh
Summary: Sora won't remember me when he wakes. In fact, nobody will, because I suspect that DiZ will do away with me once I've played my part in his plan. I wouldn't feel so bad about it if Sora remembers me when I'm gone, but I know he won't.


White walls. White floor. White ceiling. Cold, bright white. Everything. My world is an unfeeling absence of colour. That's all it ever was, and might ever be. White and cold and hard to the touch. No feelings of goodwill or feelings of despair here. No feelings at all. Just pristine white and surgical cleanliness.

I lean my backside against the table, not quite standing up but not quite sitting, much like Riku did many times. Sometimes I pretend that if I stand still enough and close my eyes I will blend into my surroundings – my dress is the same white as the room, my skin is pale and my hair is a very light blonde, not even a striking blonde. If I stand still enough anyone who happens to glance in the room would not notice me. I'd have to close my eyes though as they are the only splash of colour that would give my position away – they are a very deep blue. As I muse on, my eyes travel across the only sources of warmth or feeling I have in this cold white world – my drawings of Sora's memories.

Nobodies aren't supposed to feel. And I suppose I don't, really. Locked away in this cold, white room, whiling away the long hours with coloured pencils and blank paper, I felt nothing but the determination to redeem myself for my sins. I heard someone mention once that people who do a lot of thinking have too much time on their hands, and I guess that person was right. All that keeps me occupied here are my memories of a time when I was lost but not forgotten, Sora's memories, pencils that are every colour of the rainbow and an overwhelming sense of guilt. All I wanted to do was fix my horrible mistake, restore Sora's memories and see him wake. Only after then will I allow myself to try and fill this void within me.

I grimace. Sora won't remember me when he wakes. In fact, nobody will, because I suspect that DiZ will do away with me once I've played my part in his plan. I wouldn't feel so bad about it if Sora remembers me when I'm gone, but I know he won't. The memories of the few hours we spent together are locked away, buried in the recesses of his heart and he will never know them in his waking hours. Maybe one day he will recall them in his sleep, but somehow I think I'm just kidding myself. My birth by his sleep? Please. Never going to happen.

And Roxas. I step forward, my eyes fixed on my drawing of Sora and Roxas side-by-side. What will become of him? I still remember his eyes, his big blue eyes, staring at me. His posture was strong and his face was set, but I still remember that his eyes couldn't hide his fear. I had to be strong for him – assure him that when he becomes one with Sora, he won't disappear but will be whole. I could only say it once and he didn't understand immediately, but before I was taken away I saw it click. He believed me, and I saw the fear receding from his eyes.

I stroke the picture gently, tracing the outline of Roxas' face. Truth be told, I don't know what happens to a Nobody when they become one with their Somebody. DiZ mentioned something about them becoming complete in passing once, but I don't know if it's ever been done before. How do I know if he was telling the truth? He has a general disdain for Nobodies, but I've never known him to lie. Still, Roxas was afraid and I just couldn't bear to see him that way. I've caused enough pain for one lifetime, so I tried to make him feel better.

Speaking of causing pain, Kairi's picture is nearby. On the other side of the room hangs a drawing of the redhead girl, holding a paopu fruit. I cross to her picture and gently brush my fingertips over the paper. She is everything I will never be. Brave, intelligent, skilled… loving. I sigh sadly as I replay some of Sora's memories in my head. Memories of running in the sand with her. Memories of scribbling on the walls of the secret place with her. Memories that Sora held so close to his heart that I've watched over a thousand times. I can even dip slightly into Kairi's memories too, though not to the depth or intensity of Sora's memories, and I've kept an eye on her as she moved through her everyday life without Sora or Riku. I had to remove Sora from her memories for a year, but it pained me to do it because she's been so empty ever since. She's a strong young woman so she doesn't mope over it, but she hasn't totally moved on like the rest of Sora's friends have. Kairi was the only person who thought of Sora enough to know that something was missing when I did take her memories.

I allow myself a small smile. She won't be empty for much longer. I do wish I could meet her just once though.

My eyes fall on another, more recent picture across the room. I approach it slowly, allowing it to fall into focus gradually.

Riku.

I eye the picture silently, but no internal monologue comes to me. Instead I just remember watching Riku almost break down upon discovering Sora in his pod. I remember him sneaking in one night and setting off the alarm and me giving him special permission to visit his friend whenever he wanted to. After that I remember coming in one morning to find Riku sitting against the pod, sleeping just as soundly as Sora.

If I had a heart it would have shattered that day. Riku's determination to help Sora wake up never waned, even as the days flew by and the months stretched on. As time ticked on he spent more and more time away from the castle and grew thinner and thinner. I could dip into his memories and check what he was up to, but I always felt that would be a slight invasion of privacy. I never read Kairi's more intimate or secret memories, so I stayed out of Riku's. But he did tempt my curiosity.

And in all the time he brooded, Riku never once blamed me for what I did to his best friend. I think he feels responsible for it too, but at least he wasn't the one to mess with Sora's head in the first place. Aside from his initial shock, Riku focused his energy on helping me restore Sora's memories. It never did anything to help my guilt, however.

"Naminé."

I jump and turn to the voice. Riku himself stands in the doorway, eyebrows raised over that dark black blindfold he always wears.

"Riku?" I ask, voice quiet.

The ever ambiguous Riku doesn't answer immediately. He closes the door behind himself with a gentle click and approaches slowly.

"It's time."

I've been expecting to hear that, but it still catches me by surprise.

"It is?"

"He will wake very soon."

I don't know what to think about that. By 'he' Riku could only have meant Sora, and the idea that Sora would wake soon sets off a small fiery sensation in my chest that I've never felt before. It doesn't hurt, but actually feels rather nice.

But knowing that Sora was complete means that Roxas is gone. My eyes close without me telling them to and my stomach feels cold and empty, which contrasts against the burning in my chest. The fire travels up my neck and to my eyes – when I open them everything is blurry. I panic for a second and rub at my eyes, only to feel that my cheeks have become wet.

I glance at Riku questioningly, and his mouth tightens into a grim line.

"Tears." He explains.

"So this is what it's like." I sniff and try to rub the water away, but more spill from my eyes.

"We don't have much time." Riku mutters.

I stare directly at him with my most fierce look. "What are you going to do with me?"

He falters. "My orders were to get rid of you."

I turn away. My eyes have stopped leaking, but I don't want Riku to see any trace of fear in me.

"So you're going to kill me?"

I hear Riku sigh. "That was the order."

So this is the end. Good bye, Naminé, the world hardly knew you. I brace myself for the blow that never comes. Confused, I turn back to Riku to see that he hasn't moved an inch.

"Well, aren't you going to attack me?"

"No." Comes the reply.

I frown. "But I've served my purpose. DiZ doesn't need me anymore."

Riku begins to slowly circle the room. "That might be true, but I know someone else who needs you more than he does." He comes to a stop directly in front of the drawing of Kairi. He looks sideways at me, not verbalizing the point he is trying to make.

"Kairi?" I ask. "Why does she need me?"

Riku examines the drawing nonchalantly. "Kairi is your Somebody."

My stomach drops, but as my mind ticks over the new information I realize that it makes sense, and I should have noticed it before. I always did feel close to her, even though I've never met her. I always thought it was just because she was so close to Sora, but now I know the truth and it makes sense.

Riku reaches forth and summons a dark portal. Where to, I don't know, but I trust this boy and I know he won't hurt me.

"I'm going to take you somewhere safe." He says to me over the sound of the portal.

I nod. This morning I was preparing myself to fade into the darkness, but now I'm being offered a chance to live. Any sins I have committed have been paid for by Sora's awakening – my redemption is complete. I can either die in peace, knowing that I left the world exactly as I found it, or I can take my chance at a new life.

I step towards the portal.

Riku raises an eyebrow at me. "Aren't you going to bring anything? Your sketchbook?"

I shake my head and smile at him.

"I hate drawing."

And with that I step into the unknown.

-x-

**Alcoholics Anonymous****: Goodness, I do love me some Naminé. It always seemed a little odd to me when people depict her as a talented and enthusiastic artist, because her drawings suck and she doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as you'd expect her to. I imagine it like Sora's memories are like a film in her head and the easiest way for her to call them out and link them together is by getting them out of her head and on to paper. That's just my opinion on it, though.**

**So this is set just after Sora and Roxas become one but before Sora awakes. I'd imagine there to be a couple of hours in between those events for everyone to clear out of the mansion, and this is Naminé saying goodbye to the cold life she knew there, but getting offered a second chance at the very last minute.**

**There needs to be more Naminé in KH. Just sayin'.**


End file.
